Socioeconomic conditions of rural women and their participation in livestock management activities in Chiniot District of the Punjab, Pakistan
Keywords:
livestock management activities; rural women; socioeconomic conditions; women participation; Pakistan; Chiniot districtAbstract
Background: Livestock raising is an essential part of the agro-based rural economy of Chiniot District. The role of women in different activities relating to livestock management is crucial and needs to be recognized properly. Improvements in this sector by proper attention on women’s participation can play a vital part in the progress and prosperity of the area.
Objectives: The basic objectives of the study were to assess the socio-economic conditions of rural women of Chiniot district and the extent of their participation in livestock management activities.
Methods: The study is primarily based on firsthand data, collected from randomly selected 15 villages, five from each of the three tehsils of the district. In total 600 women, 40 from each village were randomly selected and interviewed. For field survey, a comprehensive questionnaire containing over 30 queries about the women’s socioeconomic conditions and participation in 15 livestock management activities was used. The data was processed to draw results using quantitative techniques and computer software’s SPSS-25 and ArcGIS-10.7.
Results: Results show that most of the women in the study area are illiterate. Most of them are married, living in joint families having limited income and average socioeconomic conditions. Agriculture and livestock are their main occupations. They spend maximum time in managing livestock and support their families. They play dominating role in milk processing, making and storing of dung-cakes, feeding, watering and bathing animals, caring diseased animals and new born babies, fodder cutting and collection, cleaning animal sheds, collection of manure.
Conclusions: The study concluded that socioeconomic conditions of the rural women of Chiniot district are average and their contribution in livestock management activities is incredibly high and crucial. For the improvement of this important sub-sector of the economy and its contributing women, special attention of the concerned departments and stakeholders is direly needed.
